Snow shovel with handle mounted ice chopper



Dec. 14, 1965 L. L. ZEISIG 3,222,699

SNOW SHOVEL WITH HANDLE MOUNTED ICE CHOPPER Filed April 16, 1963 INYENTOR. Lewls L. Ze|5|3 H ttor ma United States Patent 3,222,699 SNQW SHUVEL WITH HANDLE MOUNTED ICE CHOPPER Lewis L. Zeisig, 425 N. Main St., Monroe Eaiis, Ohio Filed Apr. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 273,379 4 Claims. (Ill. 7-44.55)

This invention relates to an improved snow shovel.

In the past, familiar types of snow shovels have had large shoveling scoops to which were attached straight handles having handgnips at the outer end thereof. The handes were all approximately the same length and in any event could not be used without considerable bending and stooping of the users bodies, with consequent compression of the lungs due to increased diaphragmatic pressure. With prolonged exertion of this type the heart of a user is forced to work harder due to muscular need for oxygen, and is in turn suffering from increased pulmonary pressure on its periphery, which may result in a condition of dyspnea and consequent heart involvement, so common in periods when snowfalls are heavy.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved snow shovel of given proportions which can be used for shoveling by persons of substantially varying heights, Without necessarily bending or stooping.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shovel of the character described which is invertible for additonal use as an ice chopper, likewise without bending or stooping.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings:

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a shovel embodying the features of the invention, in position of use for shoveling.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the shovel shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation corresponding to FIG- URE 2, but illustrating the shovel in an inverted position of use as an ice chopper.

Referring particularly to FIGURES l and 2, the numeral 10 designates generally a snow shovel including a shoveling scoop 11, of known type having a flat web 12 provided with a straight forward edge 13 and reinforcing upturned side and rear edges, as shown. An elongated handle 14 of tubular metal stock has its forward end slotted at 15, snugly to receive a flat central rear portion of the web 12, to which it is permanently attached as by means of rivets 16, 16.

For purposes to be described, the handle 14 may be formed of a single length of metal tubing to have a straight inner extent 17, extending upwardly at an acute angle x, to the general plane of web 12, and a straight outer extent 18, reversely bent or formed at an obtuse angle to said inner extent. That is, the outer extent 18 is bent at an acute angle y to the longitudinal axis of the inner extent 17. Accordingly, if the acute angles x and y are both forty-five degrees the outer extent 18 will be parallel to the plane of web 12, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The present invention utilizes to advantage a known phenomenon that mature male persons of widely varying heights, when standing upright on a surface with the arms downstretched, will present the ends of their fingertips at the same height from said surface, namely approximately twenty-six inches. In the case of females this dimension is slightly greater, or approximately twentysix and one-half inches. It has been found, for example, that if handle extents 17 and 1% are both made approximately twenty-six inches for the lengths A and B thereof (see FIGURE 2), and the shovel blade is positioned at a given suitable inclination (fifteen degrees shown) to the 3,222,699 Patented Dec. 14, I965 surface, the height C from a surface S also will be approximately twenty-six inches, and the outer handle extent 18 will be at a general level above surface S which is convenient for shoveling use by substantially any mature person, without bending or stooping of the body.

The outer handle extent 118 may be provided with handgrip means 19, including a crossbar 20 affixed between laterally spaced, flat metal strips 21, 21 extending longitudinally from a split collar 22 secured to the outer end of tubular handle 14. Outward extensions 21a, 21a of the fiat strips 21 are shown, in FIGURE 1, as integrally connected and formed to provide a laterally extending chopper blade 23, longitudinally spaced from cross-bar 2th and in a plane substantially parallel to said plane of the scoop web 12 (see FIGURES 1 to 3). Handle 14 is arcuate at the point of juncture P of said inner and outer extents thereof, and this arcuate portion 24 is corrugated to provide non-slip handgrip portions 24a and 24b on handle extents 1'7 and 18, respectively.

In use of shovel 10, as for shoveling snow, the user positions the same as shown in FIGURE 2, while gripping handgrip 2t? and 24b in the hands of the down-stretched arms. Snow then may be shoveled by swinging and turning movements of the arms, while maintaining the body erect and without substantial harmful cramping action about the chest area of the same. For chopping ice or packed snow the shovel is inverted, as shown in FIGURE 3, with blade 23 at effective chopping angle, in which the inner handle extent 17 will be approximately at the same relative gripping angle and height C as shown for the shoveling position of FIGURE 2. In other words the device may be used with the handle extent 17 conveniently held for ice chopping purposes, in the relative condition shown in FIGURE 3, without necessarily bending or stooping.

Thus has been provided a double-use tool which may be manufactured in one size for use by mature individuals of substantially any size. With the user standing more upright, oxygenation in the users lungs will be facilitated and more complete, the heart will tend to pulsate more rhythmically, and the peripheral heart muscles will be less prone to anoxia. Accordingly, users of this improved shovel will be less prone to cardiac complications, and with consequently diminished or minimized blood pressures there is less likelihood of incurring cerebro-vascular accidents. Also, with more normal or oxygen-acid balance in the body tissues there is less likelihood of inducing morning after muscular soreness or stiffness as previously experienced by use of ordinary snow shovels. Moreover, by maintaining the body upright in use of the present invention the lumbar spine is maintained in a more normal concave contour, and consequently retains its natural weight-bearing properties. As a consequence the user is much less susceptible to lower back strain commonly experienced with use of ordinary straight handled snow shovels.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A snow or like shovel comprising: a shoveling scoop having a surface-engaging forward edge and an opposite rearward edge; and a handle including a bend therein defining elongated inner and outer extents of approximately the same lengths on the order of twenty-six inches and disposed at an obtuse inside angle to each other; said inner handle extent being centrally attached to extend from said rearward edge of the scoop at an upward and rearward inclination with respect to said general plane of the scoop approximating an outside angle of forty-five degrees with respect to the general plane, and said outer handle extent being presented rearwardly of said bend and substantially in parallelism to said general plane of the scoop; whereby in a position of initial shoveling use of the scoop at an acute angle to a horizontal surface said outer handle extent will extend generally horizontally at a predetermined height above said surface at which the apex at said bend will be positioned at a height from said surface on the order of twenty-six inches, such that in conjunction with said outside angle different mature persons of widely varying heights, standing erect on said surface can readily grip said generally horizontal outer handle extent in the widely separated hands of downstretched arms, without substantial bending of the body in that positon and in other positions of normal shoveling use of the shovel.

2. A shovel as in claim 1, said outer extent having hand grip means on the outer end thereof including a cross-bar, said cross-bar being located approximately twenty-six inches from said apex.

3. A shovel as set forth in claim 2, including a rigid chopping blade affixed on said hand grip means outwardly of said cross-bar and having a chopping edge parallel to said forward edge of the scoop.

4. A shovel as set forth in claim 1, said handle having arcuate non-slip portions at said bend, and providing nonslip hand-grip means on adjacent portions of said inner and outer extents.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,261,638 4/1918 Southwell 29457 2,579,484 12/1951 Fenton 294-57 3,078,604 2/1963 Neuman 294-54 FOREIGN PATENTS 133,477 10/1919 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SNOW OR LIKE SHOVEL COMPRISING: A SHOVELING SCOOP HAVING A SURFACE-ENGAGING FORWARD EDGE AND AN OPPOSITE REARWARD EDGE; AND AND A HANDLE INCLUDING A BEND THEREIN DEFINING ELONGATED INNER AND OUTER EXTENDS OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LENGTHS ON THE ORDER OF TWENTY-SIX INCHES AND DISPOSED AT AN OBTUSE INSIDE ANGLE TO EACH OTHER; SAID INNER HANDLE EXTENT BEING CENTRALLY ATTACHED TO EXTEND FROM SAID REARWARD EDGE OF THE SCOOP AT AN UPWARD AND REARWARD INCLINATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID GENERAL PLANE OF THE SCOOP APPROXIMATING AN OUTSIDE ANGLE OF FORTY-FIVE DEGREES WITH RESPECT TO THE GENERAL PLANE, AND SAID OUTER HANDLE EXTENT BEING PRESENTED REARWARDLY OF SAID BEND AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN PARALLELISM TO SAID GENERAL PLANE OF THE SCOOP; WHEREBY IN A POSITION OF INITIAL SHOVELING USE OF THE SCOOP AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO A HORIZONTAL SURFACE SAID OUTER HANDLE EXTENT WILL EXTEND GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY AT A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT ABOVE SAID SURFACE AT WHICH THE APEX AT SAID BEND WILL BE POSITIONED AT A HEIGHT FROM SAID SURFACE ON THE ORDER OF TWENTY-SIX INCHES, SUCH THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID OUTSIDE ANGLE DIFFERENT MATURE PERSONS OF WIDELY VARYING HEIGHTS, STANDING ERECT ON SAID SURFCE CAN READILY GRIP SAID GENERALLY HORIZONTAL OUTER HANDLE EXTENT IN THE WIDELY SEPARATED HANDS OF DOWNSTRETCHED ARMS, WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL BENDING OF THE BODY IN THAT POSITION AND IN OTHER POSITIONS OF NORMAL SHOVELING USE OF THE SHOVEL. 